Portrait of dying mother wins award

A portrait of her dying mother has earned Sally Robinson the Portia Geach Memorial Award.

Robinson captured her mother Margaret Joyce Robinson as the 89-year-old endured chemotherapy in her battle with cancer.

Robinson named the portrait The Artist's Mother. She is sad her mother, who died in July, isn't here to share her success.

"My portrait depicts mum at 89, after chemotherapy had robbed her of her beautiful hair," Robinson said.

"It is a landscape of her face, conveying her strength, stoicism and defiance, as well as her vulnerability and frail humanity.

"She survived long enough to see the portrait completed, but sadly, not long enough to see it win the Portia Geach Award. She would have been very pleased."

Robinson was presented with the $18,000 prize by The Trust Company at a ceremony at The Rocks on Thursday.

Her portrait was selected from 295 entries and will be part of an exhibition of all 55 finalists, open for viewing at the SH Ervin Gallery in Sydney until November 4.

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Ervin Gallery director Jane Watters said: "The judges responded to the close relationship of the artist to her sitter and the sincere expression of sentimentality in the work.

"The artist has attempted to bridge several stylistic approaches in the visual language employed in this work, and although the work is based on the grid, it transcends the formulaic and animates the face of the sitter to reveal her courage and vulnerability."

The award, established by Florence Kate Geach in memory of her artist sister Portia, is presented to an Australian female artist for the best portrait painted from life of a man or woman distinguished in art, letters or the sciences.